New to Penguin Classics: two of the most important Buddhist tracts from Japan
Both of these works on life’s fleeting pleasures are by Buddhist monks from medieval Japan, but each represents a different worldview. In Essays in Idleness, his lively and sometimes ribald collection of anecdotes, advice, and observations, Kenko displays his fascination with earthly matters. In the short memoir Hojoki, however, Chomei recounts his decision to withdraw from worldly affairs and live as a hermit.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
About Kenko
Kenko (1238–?) was a monk and a noted calligrapher, remembered today for his wise and witty aphorisms.
About Chomei
Chomei (1155–1216), born into a family of Shinto priests, became an important poet, and at the age of fifty withdrew… More about Chomei
